Device for continuously filling and closing composite cardboard/plastic packagings opened on one side and cell cage for transporting said packagings in the device

ABSTRACT

A device for continuously filling and closing composite cardboard/plastic packagings opened on one side comprises a filling area for filling the open packagings and a closing area for closing the open end of the packagings. The individual areas are configured as peripheral functional wheels having recesses arranged on the outside, including a filling wheel and a closing wheel. The individual packagings are arranged in cell cages, which are delivered one after the other to the individual wheels. The cell cages are held in a non-positive fitting manner in the recesses of the wheels by magnets. The invention also relates to a cell cage for transporting said packagings in the device. In order to ensure a gentle transfer of the cell cages by the transfer wheels, transfer wheels having recesses on the outside are provided between the individual wheels for transferring the cell cages and the other wheels.

The invention relates to a device for the continuous filling and closingof cardboard/plastic composite packages which are open on one side, inparticular beverage packages, with at least one filling zone for fillingthe open packages, and a closing zone for closing the open package end,wherein the individual zones are rotating functional wheels withrecesses arranged on the outside, as well as a filling wheel and aclosing wheel, wherein the individual packages are arranged in cellcages which are successively transferred to the individual wheels,wherein the cell cages are held in the recesses of the wheels in anon-positive manner by means of magnets. The invention also relates to acell cage for transporting such packages in the device.

A host of different designs of devices for the filling and closing ofcardboard/plastic composite packages, in particular beverage packages,are known. First of all, a distinction is made between intermittentdevices and continuously operating devices. In the case of intermittentdevices, the package is produced step-by-step on an mandrel wheel onwhose individual stations a package which is open on one side is madefrom a package sleeve. In this arrangement, the cycle speed of themandrel wheel dictates the speed of the following steps during fillingand closing the packages, and limits this speed. The speed cannot beincreased at will because sloshing over of the product, as a result ofthe cyclic transport after filling the still open packages, cannot beprevented. Furthermore, mechanical wear increases.

Moreover, intermittently operating filling devices are disadvantageousbecause as a rule they are designed as longitudinally operatingmachines, i.e. the individual process steps take place in sequence alonga straight machine line. While it is possible to design these machinesso that they have several lines, this would increase the complexity ofthe construction and result in poor access to the tools arranged on theinner lines. Furthermore, longitudinally operating machines areassociated with the disadvantage in that fixed coupling of the packagesguided along transport chains always causes a standstill of the entiresystem, even if only one fault has occurred in a single location. Hereagain, the fastest speed is always only as fast as the maximum speed ofthe slowest-operating unit within the line.

For this reason, continuously operating filling devices have beendeveloped which are also designed as longitudinally operating machines.In these machines, the packages are moved along evenly, so that thepreviously mentioned sloshing over can be excluded, but it means thatmany tools and functional components needed have to be arranged so as torun in unison. This increases the associated design expenditure and thusin turn wear and tear.

Further continuously operating devices are known for filling glassbottles. To this effect, the bottles are transported in sequence insingle file, wherein the mechanical strength of the bottles can be usedfor transmitting the required pressure forces. However, due to the lackof stability of the open cardboard/plastic composite packages, thismethod cannot be used for filling devices used for such packages.

It has therefore already been proposed (EP-B1-0 707 550) to provide acontinuously operating filling device in which the cardboard/plasticcomposite packages are arranged in cell cages which in sequence areconveyed to various functional wheels for the filling, closing etc. ofthe individual packages, wherein the functional wheels are star wheelswhich comprise recesses distributed around their circumference, andwherein the cell cages are held in a non-positive way in the recesses ofthe functional wheels by means of magnets. While a holding arrangementusing magnets provides desian advantages, the magnets nevertheless haveto be designed such that their tractive force is sufficiently strong toreliably hold the cell cages in their position. This is howeverassociated with the disadvantage in that a relatively strong force isrequired for detaching the cell cages from the permanent magnets, and inthat detaching a cell cage during the outward transfer process takesplace suddenly and with a jerk. However, this is not desirable for thefilling process, since, in particular after filling the packages andbefore closing them, sloshing over of the package contents cannotreliably be excluded.

Based on this, it is the object of the present invention to design andimprove the above-mentioned and described device for the filling andclosing of cardboard/plastic composite packages which are open on oneside, in such a way that the above-mentioned disadvantages are avoided.

Furthermore, it is desirable that the highest possible flexibility withregard to producing different package formats is achieved while designand maintenance expenditure is kept to a minimum.

This object is met in that transfer wheels with recesses arranged on theoutside are provided for transferring the cell cages between theindividual wheels, and in that the transfer wheels comprise means forrotating the cell cages in their recesses.

The invention reflects the finding that despite maintaining anon-positive holding arrangement using magnets it is possible to achievea particularly gentle outward transfer of the packages from a functionalwheel to a transfer wheel in that the entire cell cage is rotated on itsvertical axis. If only one magnet, or several magnets located on top ofeach other, is/are provided, rotation causes detachment no longer totake place vertically in relation to the magnet surface, but almostparallel to it. Even more pronounced is the advantage, as will beexplained in detail below, if several magnets are used, arranged aroundthe circumference. For, such an arrangement causes the lifting orputting in place of the magnets in succession, so that only a lighterforce is required and moreover noise generation is also reduced.

According to a preferred teaching of the invention, filling of thepackages to be filled takes place in an aseptic way. To this effect, forthe purpose of sterilising the packages, a sterilising wheel is providedupstream of the filling wheel, and the entire transport zone from thesterilising wheel to the filling wheel to and including the closingwheel is a closed sterile channel, so that any entry of dirt or germsinto this sterile zone is reliably prevented.

With the device according to the invention it is possible to fill bothtwo-part packages which comprise a container and a cover, andsingle-part folding packages as they are available on the market in amultitude of designs as flat-ridge multi-layer drink cartons. In thelatter case it is necessary, upstream of the filling wheel, or, in thecase of a sterilising wheel already upstream of this sterilising wheel,to provide a prefolding wheel which is used for the prefolding of thestill open end of the package, so as to facilitate the subsequentclosing process. In such a design, in a further embodiment of theinvention, a package forming wheel is provided as the last wheel, whichis used to impart its cuboid final shape to the package that has justbeen closed, and if necessary to fold back the still protruding ears ofthe package.

In the device according to the invention, with almost free choice thediameter of the individual functional wheels provides the opportunity tooptimally match the fastest transport speed and the respectivelyrequired treatment duration in the respective position. In thisarrangement, the moved tools are firmly installed on the rotatingfunctional wheels so that relative movement or a return of the tools isnot necessary. In this arrangement, the transfer wheels can be extremelysmall when compared to the functional wheels. In order to achieve this,a further teaching of the invention provides for the cell cage, forinward transfer, to rest without jerking against the magnets of thefunctional wheels, and, for outward transfer, to detach from them. Byway of means to rotate the cell cages, in their recesses a rotably heldcontrol element is provided for each recess, wherein said rotatably heldcontrol element is rotated via a drive in such a way that the cell cagerests against the magnets of the functional wheels without jerking, anddetaches from them in the same manner. To this effect the controlelement is of a shape which engages the cell cage in a positive-lockingmanner so that the device according to the invention in a wayestablishes a combined non-positive locking connection/positive-lockingconnection. Preferably, the end of the control element which protrudesinto each control of the transfer wheel is designed in a fork-likemanner.

Preferably, the control system is a cam control with a fixed controlslide for guiding a sliding block arranged on the control element. Sincethe transfer wheels do not comprise magnets, holding of the cell cageshas to take place in some other way. A preferred embodiment of theinvention provides for guide rails for constrained guidance of the cellcages to be arranged in the region of the transfer wheels, at a distancefrom these transfer wheels.

According to a further teaching of the invention, all wheels includingthe transfer wheels are arranged in one plane so that the cell cagesalso only rotate in one plane. Consequently, the empty packages are fedfrom above into the cell cages, and the full packages are removed upwardfrom the cell cages. According to a further preferred embodiment of theinvention, inserting and removing the packages into/from the cell cagestakes place along a helical path so that this has no influence on thetransport speed of the cell cages. To this effect, an automated feeddevice may be used.

A further embodiment of the invention provides for the number of cellcages used to be finite, and to correspond to the number of the maximumoccupiable accommodation stations of all wheels and transfer wheels. Inother words, the rotating cell cages quasi correspond to a “transportchain” except that they provide a substantial advantage in that theindividual “chain members” are not linked to each other, but instead caneasily be exchanged if required.

A cell cage provided for use with the device according to the inventionfeatures an open-top cell body for accommodating a package to be filled,and at least one collar, connected to the cell body, which collarcomprises at least one upward or downward protruding driver element,wherein the driver element engages the fork of the control element, soas to allow rotation of the cell cage within the recess of the transferwheel on the vertical axis of said cell cage. For improved guidance andan associated increase in the transport speed it is however advantageousif the cell cage comprises an upper and a lower collar. In order toachieve rotation according to the invention, the collars are rounded onthe outside.

A further embodiment of the invention provides for each collar tocomprise at least one bearing pin. This bearing pin is situated on theoutside of the recesses of the functional wheels or transfer wheels andaccording to a further preferred teaching of the invention is made froma ferromagnetic material so that magnets which are correspondinglyarranged on the wheels ensure a safe grip between the pickup station inthe recess of a wheel and the cell cage.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, each cell bodycomprises four wall plates and a cell floor. In this arrangement, thecell floor is preferably designed so as to be height-adjustable withinthe cell body so that with the package cross-section remaining the same,different package formats can be accommodated. It is clear that thedevice according to the invention makes it possible to fill a host ofpackages of different sizes. To this effect, in each case all the cellcages are uniformly matched to a package cross section. It isparticularly advantageous that for each package cross section only oneset of cell cages has to be kept in stock, without any intervention inthe machine becoming necessary. As has already been mentioned,changeover to various package sizes within a package cross section takesplace only by moving the cell floors within the cell bodies, without theneed for exchanging the entire set of cell cages.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the cell cagecomprises at least one index pin for determining its orientation. Such adesign is particularly expedient in those cases where during filling ofthe package the orientation of the package in the cell cage isimportant, for example in the case of weakened zones arranged on oneside, or pouring elements attached to one side. By means of the indexpin it is thus easily possible, in spite of the round collar, toautomatically carry out unambiguous position determination of thepackage in relation to the functional wheels.

Below, the invention is explained in more detail with reference to adrawing which shows but one preferred embodiment. The drawing shows thefollowing:

FIG. 1 a diagrammatic top view of the device according to the invention;

FIG. 2 a perspective view of the section of a transport wheel and a cellcage, to clarify the accommodation of a cell cage;

FIG. 3 a detailed perspective view of the cell cage from FIG. 3;

FIG. 4 a perspective view of a transfer wheel with a diagrammaticallyshown cell cage;

FIG. 5 a top view of a transfer wheel at the time of outward transfer ofa cell cage from a functional wheel;

FIG. 6 a top view of a transfer wheel at the time of inward transfer ofa cell cage to a functional wheel; and

FIG. 7 an alternative solution for outward transfer of the packages fromthe cell cages.

FIG. 1 diagrammatically shows a top view of a device according to theinvention. Shown are the differently-sized wheels which will beexplained in more detail below. Depending on whether or not theindividual packages to be filled during conventional filling are to befilled with open top, in special cases with the bottom open towards thetop, i.e. the package placed upside down, it is necessary, before thefilling process, to prefold the top or bottom region which is to beclosed off later. In the embodiment shown, this takes place on aprefolding wheel 1. Of course, the prefolding tools have to be replacedby welding tools if the packages P to be filled are packages whoseaperture is not closed off by folding and sealing, but instead byputting a plastic cap or the like in place. In this case it is alsopossible to carry out sterilising and filling through the pouringaperture arranged in the cap.

The prefolding wheel 1 is followed by a sterilising wheel 2 which hasthe largest diameter because the process of sterilising the packages Pto be filled takes longer than all the other processes. The toolsnecessary for this are arranged within or above the sterilising wheel 2and are not shown in the drawing. The sterilising wheel 2 is followed bya filling wheel 3 in which the packages are filled. The filled packageis then closed in a closing wheel 4 and is finally given the final shapein a package forming wheel 5. For example, in this process, package“ears” that still protrude are put in their proper place so that thepackage assumes its right parallelepiped shape.

The embodiment shown comprises transfer wheels 6, 6′ between theindividual above-mentioned wheels, wherein said transfer wheels 6, 6′are arranged in the same plane as the remaining wheels 1 to 5, thusensuring continuous transport of the packages P to be filled. In FIG. 1,the transfer wheel 6′ is larger than the other transfer wheels 6.

The diagram shows that most of the circumference of the sterilisationwheel 2, the entire filling wheel 3 and most of the closing wheel 4 aredesigned in an encapsulated way as a sterile channel 7. This reliablyprevents dirt or germs entering the interior of the packages P after thesterilisation process.

According to the invention, transport of the packages P to be filledtakes place by means of cell cages 8 which will be described in detailbelow. By means of an automatic feeder device 9 (not shown in detail),the packages P to be filled are transferred from above into the open-topcell cages 8, namely along a helical path (not shown) in the area of theprefolding wheel 1. In the embodiment shown, which is a preferredembodiment, outward transfer of the filled and closed packages P′ takesplace in the region of the package forming wheel 5, wherein here too,the packages P′ are moved along a helical path (also not shown) from theplane of the cell cage and are thus conveyed to a point where a pouringelement is applied or where palletising and dispatch take place.

As shown in FIG. 2, in the embodiment shown, which is a preferredembodiment, the transport wheels comprise two discs or rings 10 and 11which are spaced apart parallel to each other, wherein said discs orrings 10 and 11 comprise accommodation spaces for the cell cages 8, withsaid accommodation spaces being distributed around the circumference ofsaid rings 10 and 11, with said accommodation spaces being in the shapeof recesses 12. FIG. 2 also shows that the recesses 12 in the upper ring10 comprise an upper bearing surface 13, and in the lower ring 11 acorresponding lower bearing surface 14.

FIG. 2 also shows the diagrammatic design of a cell cage 8. Said cellcage comprises a cell body 15 for accommodating the open-top package.The cell body 15 comprises an upper collar 16 and a lower collar 17which are of equal size and which are circular in shape. Preferably,each of the two collars 16, 17 comprise two bearing pins 18 whichprotrude vertically upward or downward from said collar 16, 17, withsaid bearing pins 18 being suitable and destined to “dock” the circularcell cages 8 always tangentially to the corresponding wheels. It isshown how a cell cage 8 can be accommodated by the recesses 12 in therings 10 and 11. For the sake of improved clarity, the cell cage 8 ishowever not shown in its operating position but instead at some distancefrom it. Magnets 19 which are arranged in the end region of the bearingsurfaces 13 or 14 are positioned such that they correspond to thebearing pins 18 which to this effect expediently comprise aferromagnetic material. It has been shown that this simple form ofnon-positive connection of the respective wheel and cell cage 8 issufficient to safely hold the cell cages 8 in the recesses 12 of thewheels. In this arrangement, the support surfaces 13A and 14A secure theheight position of the cell cages 8 by means of the collars 16 and 17.

FIG. 3 shows a possible embodiment of the cell cage 8 in greater detail.It is shown that the cell body 15 comprises four wall plates 15A, 15B,15C, 15D which in their upper region are angled outward slightly inorder to facilitate automatic placement of the packages P to beaccommodated. In order to be able to fill packages P of different sizeswith one and the same cell cage 8, the lower part of the cell body 15 isdesigned as a height-adjustably arranged cell floor 20, which can befixed along the double arrow (not shown) at any height required by thevarious package formats. In the embodiment shown, the upper collar 16comprises a driver pin 21, whose function is described below, which inthe embodiment shown protrudes downward. The driver pin 21 can at thesame time be an index pin which makes it possible to maintain theinitially taken up position of the package P in the cell cage 8throughout the entire passage through the filling machine. This isnecessary because otherwise the circular cell cage 8 with its bearingpins 18 might rotate on a vertical axis to two different positions by180° along the device. The use of this index pin is always necessarywhere the type of package to be filled requires unequivocal positioning,as is for example the case in packages which comprise a pouring elementarranged on one side; or a weakened zone arranged on one side, with apouring element having to be affixed to said weakened zone.

Finally, FIG. 4 shows the transfer of the cell cage 8 from one transportwheel to another. The already mentioned transfer wheel 6 also comprisesan upper and a lower wheel element, both of which are interconnected ina rotationally rigid way by means of a shaft 22. This transfer wheel 6is not driven; the shaft 22 is accommodated by a bearing 23 which isrigidly connected to the device. The transfer wheel 6 also comprises anupper bearing surface 13′ and a lower bearing surface 14′; however,these bearing surfaces do not comprise magnets in their end regions. Aguide rail 24 holds the cell cage 8 in the respective recess of thetransfer wheel 6, which in the embodiment shown comprises six recesses.After changing over into the circular path of the next transport wheel,which in the embodiment shown is for example the sterilisation wheel 2,the cell cages 8 leave the transfer wheel 6 and are moved into thecorresponding recesses 12 of the sterilisation wheel 2 until thenon-positive connection between the bearing pins 18 and the magnets 19becomes effective.

In order to clearly show the function, in FIG. 4 the rotation means ofthe cell cages are not shown. The function of the design according tothe invention is shown with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, wherein for abetter overview outward transfer and inward transfer are shown inseparate drawings.

FIG. 5 shows a snapshot taken during outward transfer of a cell cage 8from a functional wheel, in the present instance the prefolding wheel 1,by means of the transfer wheel 6. It can be seen that the right bearingpin 18 in FIG. 5 has already detached itself from the magnet 19. In thisposition, the bearing pin 18 has however already moved away from thecircular path U₆ around the centre of the transfer wheel, namely bymeans of rotation of the cell cage 8 in the interior of the recess 12′,due to the interaction between the driver fork 26 of the control element25 around the driver pin 21. In the embodiment shown, which is apreferred embodiment, rotation of the control element 25 takes place bymeans of a cam control, wherein below the upper rim of the transferwheel 6, a control slide 27 is arranged so as to be fixed, by means ofwhich a sliding block 28 connected to the control element 25 is moved.In this arrangement, the geometry of the control slide 27 is optimisedfor the two “problem zones” of outward transfer and inward transfer. Itis clear that the control slide 27 goes all the way round, even if forreasons of improved clarity only part of it is shown. U₁ denotes thecircular path of the holding pins 18 around the prefolding wheel 1. Itis clear that as a result of the rotation, according to the invention,of the cell cage 8, transfer from the circular path U₁ to the circularpath U₆ does not take place by jerks and jolts, but instead, along acontrolled circular path U_(S). For reasons of clarity, the guide rail24 for outer constrained guidance of the cell cages 8 in the region ofthe transfer wheel 6 is not shown either.

FIG. 6 shows the situation during inward transfer of a cell cage 8 ontoa functional wheel; in the case shown, the sterilisation wheel 2. As aresult of the action of the control slide 27, the control element 25rotates the cell cage 8 rearward before it reaches the sterilisationwheel 2 so that the advancing holding pin 18 does not continue on thecircular path U₆, but instead moves on a controlled curve U_(S) and inthis way tangentially approaches the circular path U₂ of thesterilisation wheel 2 in a defined way. It is quite evident that as aresult of the control according to the invention, “gentle” inward andoutward transfer of the cell cages 8 in the region of the transferwheels 6 takes place. This is particularly important in the region oftransfer between the filling wheel 3 and the closing wheel 4, where thecontents of the filled packages P readily tend to slosh over. As aresult of the two magnets 19, which are arranged on the sides of therecesses 12, not at the same time losing or establishing contact withthe holding pin 18, the tractive forces are significantly reduced. Thedesign according to the invention provides a further advantage in thatnoise emission is also significantly reduced.

It is understood that the embodiment shown depicts but one example, andthat apart from the functional wheels mentioned, there can be stillfurther wheels, for example with tools for affixing a pouring element.Likewise, the cell cages 8 for accommodating packages P with arectangular cross-section are only shown as an example. It is of coursealso possible to match the cell cages to any desired special forms.

Finally, FIG. 7 diagrammatically shows an alternative embodiment of thedevice according to the invention as far as the design solution ofoutward transfer of the packages P from the cell cages 8 is concerned.Since the packages P to be transported are relatively fragile, thissolution provides for the filled packages P to be clamped from top andbottom by corresponding holding elements 29, 30, thus maintaining theirhorizontal transport path, while the cell cages 8 are moved verticallydownward on a corresponding outward transfer wheel (not shown) until thepackages P are released and can be conveyed to the downstream unit, forexample a palletising station.

1-17. (canceled)
 18. A device for continuous filling and closing ofcardboard/plastic composite packages which are open on one side, thedevice including a filling zone for filling the open packages and aclosing zone for closing an open package end, wherein individual zonescomprise rotating functional wheels with recesses arranged on theoutside, including a filling wheel and a closing wheel, whereinindividual packages are arranged in cell cages which are successivelytransferred to the filling wheel and the closing wheel, wherein the cellcages between the filling wheel and the closing wheel are held in therecesses of the wheels in a non-positive manner by means of magnets,wherein transfer wheels with recesses arranged on the outside areprovided for transferring the cell cages, the transfer wheels comprisemeans for rotating the cell cages in their recesses, the means forrotating comprising: a rotatably held control element provided for eachrecess, which by way of a drive is rotated allowing the cell cage toadjoin magnets of a prefolding wheel, a sterilising wheel, the fillingwheel, the closing wheel and a package form wheel for inward transfer orto detach the prefolding, sterilising, filling, closing and package formwheel from magnets for outward transfer.
 19. The device according toclaim 18, wherein the sterilising wheel is provided upstream of thefilling wheel, and an entire transport zone from the sterilising wheel,to the filling wheel to and including the closing wheel is a closedsterile channel for the purpose of sterilising the packages therebyallowing filling to occur in an aseptic manner.
 20. The device accordingto claim 19, wherein the prefolding wheel for prefolding the still openend of the package is provided upstream of the sterilising wheel. 21.The device according to claim 18, wherein the package form wheel forms acuboid package and folds back the still protruding ears of the packageand is provided downstream of the closing wheel.
 22. The deviceaccording to claim 18, wherein the control element comprises a formwhich interacts in a positive-locking manner with the cell cage.
 23. Thedevice according to claim 18, wherein the control system is a camcontrol with a fixed control slide for guiding a sliding block arrangedon the control element.
 24. The device according to claim 18, whereinguide rails for constrained guidance of the cell cages are arranged inthe region of the transfer wheels, at a distance from the transferwheels.
 25. The device according to claim 18, wherein the prefolding,sterilising, filling, closing and package form wheels are arranged inone plane, and further wherein the empty packages are fed from aboveinto the cell cages, and the full and closed packages are removed upwardfrom the cell cages.
 26. The device according to claim 25, whereininserting the packages into the cell cages and removing the packagesfrom the cell cages takes place along a helical path.
 27. The deviceaccording to claim 18, wherein the number of cell cages used is finite,and corresponds to a number of maximum occupiable accommodation stationsof the prefolding, sterilising, filling, closing and package form wheelsand the transfer wheels.
 28. A cell cage for the transport ofcardboard/plastic composite packages open on one side, for use with thedevice according to claim 18, the cell cage comprising an open-top cellbody for accommodating a package to be filled; and at least one collar,connected to the cell body, wherein the at least one collar comprises atleast one upward or downward protruding driver element.
 29. The cellcage according to claim 28, wherein the cell cage comprises an uppercollar and a lower collar.
 30. The cell cage according to claim 29,wherein the upper collar and the lower collar each comprise at least onebearing pin.
 31. The cell cage according to claim 30, wherein the atleast one bearing pin is made from a ferromagnetic material.
 32. Thecell cage according to claim 28, wherein each cell body comprises fourwall plates and a cell floor.
 33. The cell cage according to claim 32,wherein the cell floor is adapted to be height-adjustable within thecell body.
 34. The cell cage according to claim 28, wherein the driverelement serves as an index pin to determine an orientation of the cellcage.